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BIDDEFORD, Maine

Ed Bilsky receives Career/Lifetime Achievement Award from Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience

Edward Bilsky, Ph.D., vice president for Research and Scholarship, professor of pharmacology, and director for the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences, recently received the Career/Lifetime Achievement Award from the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) at the FUN Social and Poster Session during the Society for Neuroscience’s annual meeting.

The highest honor given by FUN, the award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding efforts on behalf of undergraduate neuroscience education and research.  Such outstanding efforts may include singular achievements that have provided wide benefit to the undergraduate neuroscience community or sustained efforts across years.  Awards are made based on peer nominations.

Bilsky has been an ardent supporter of student-centered scholarship, actively engaging undergraduate and graduate students in his academic research for over 16 years. He has opened up numerous clinical and basic science research opportunities for ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ students in Maine and the United States, and has been a vital leader in facilitating biomedical and osteopathic research opportunities at UNE. His laboratory has contributed to over 70 peer-reviewed publications and hundreds of scientific presentations in the fields of neuroscience and pharmacology, many of them involving student co-authors.

Alex Skorput (³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ â€™08), a 5th year Ph.D. candidate at Dartmouth College, said the following about his undergraduate experience with Bilsky at UNE: “I find myself involved in science I did not know existed the day I walked into Dr. Bilsky’s office, and I could not see myself doing anything else. If it had not been for Dr. Bilsky’s willingness to go beyond, not only by allowing me into his busy laboratory, but also subsequently through his diligent mentorship, I would not be where I am today.â€

Denise Giuvelis (³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ â€™08) added, “Knowing that he appreciates my unique strengths and qualities has motivated me to work that much harder for him, to take his advice and challenges seriously, and to grow tremendously over my formal undergraduate education and as a full-¬-time employee. He continuously challenges me to take on new responsibilities while also balancing this with respect for my own limits and career aspirations.â€

About the ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ

The ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.